2017/02/08

Dr. Yousef Kourihye, lector of Semitic and Arabic Studies at Freie Universität Berlin, held this speech about the divisions within Assyrian churches since the 5th century, on the occasion of the commemoration of Naum Faiq and other Assyrian national heroes in Gütersloh Assyrian Association, Germany, on Sunday February 5, 2017. He explains how the Assyrian people for centuries lived as slaves to foreign policies in order to divide-and-conquer our nation through meaningless theological divisions since the days of Nestorius. He also pointed out that our church fathers have misinterpreted the real theory of Nestorius in accordance with Coptic and Byzantine interests. The result is that the Assyrian nation has come to the edge of extinction because we have been taught a false history.

He also mentions the reason why the former Assyrian patriot bishop Afrem Barsom (later Patriarch) turned around and became a harsh anti-Assyrian for personal reasons.

Just a small correction: Bishop Afrem Barsom did not attend the peace negotiations in Lausanne, but in Paris 1919-20. There, he presented the memorandum Dr. Kouriyhe is referring to, where he called his people the descendants of the ancient Assyrian Nation. He presented the same contents in French as well. In Lausanne no Assyrian representative was allowed to attend. The only one was Agha Petros who presented the Assyrian demands at the opening ceremony and was no more present at the negotiations.

Bishop Afrem Barsom was actually in Lausanne too, but that was at an ecumenical conference in 1927. After that he skipped his planned visit to London and travelled to USA where he inaugurated three churches as Assyrian Apostolic Church in the presence of his good friend Naum Faiq.

A harsh truth that explains our mistakes from our history that haunt us today and that must be understood by our people who are convinced by these lies. We are one. Our dialects and differences don’t mean that we are different people. Our names shouldn’t divide us as a nation but give us more strength. Unfortunately, many people ignore and are seduced by money and wealth more than their identity and nation.